{"id":2527253,"url":"https://alion.io/job/sidley-lead-database-administrator","title":"Lead Database Administrator","company":{"id":15213,"name":"Sidley","domain":"sidley.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/sidley","size_band":null,"is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Workday","truth_index":null},"role":"Data Science","role_family":"Data Science","seniority":"lead","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"hybrid","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Chicago, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":123000,"max":169000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":169000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":6,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Azure","optional":false},{"name":"Azure SQL Database","optional":false},{"name":"CI/CD","optional":false},{"name":"Databricks","optional":false},{"name":"ETL/ELT","optional":false},{"name":"MS SQL","optional":false},{"name":"Power BI","optional":false},{"name":"PowerShell","optional":false},{"name":"Sentry","optional":false},{"name":"SQL","optional":false},{"name":"SSIS","optional":false},{"name":"VMWare","optional":false},{"name":"Windows Server","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-08-31T00:00:00Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-08-31","last_verified_at":"2026-10-14T16:47:39Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":44,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":44},"description":"The Lead Database Administrator is a senior member of the database team responsible for the advanced operational support, performance optimization, and architectural maintenance of the firm's database environments, including the legacy hub-and-spoke data distribution framework. This role independently resolves complex, high-impact issues, mentors other database administrators, and serves as a key technical escalation point for the team. The Lead Database Administrator also helps guide the team's transition toward cloud-native and modern data platforms (Azure, Databricks) as those initiatives mature.\nDuties and Responsibilities:\nServe as the primary technical escalation point for complex SQL Server performance, replication, availability, and database infrastructure issues, including support of the firm's hub-and-spoke data distribution framework.\n\nDesign, maintain, and enhance the firm's hub-and-spoke data distribution architecture, including staging tables, MERGE-based sync procedures, intermediary databases, and related SQL Server ETL/data integration solutions\n\nMentor and provide technical leadership to Database Administrators through guidance on query tuning, performance optimization, ETL design, troubleshooting, and best practices.\n\nLead root cause analysis for recurring database issues, recommend long-term improvements, and participate in database capacity planning and infrastructure roadmap initiatives.\n\nDevelop, implement, and support enterprise reporting, data integration, and automation solutions using SSRS, SSIS, Visual Studio, PowerShell, and related SQL Server technologies.\n\nMonitor, optimize, and maintain database performance, availability, backup and recovery, security, and disaster recovery technologies, including replication, log shipping, failover clustering, and SQL Server Availability Groups.\n\nPerform SQL Server administration, including patching, cumulative updates, version upgrades, documentation, and support for Azure-based SQL Server environments.\n\nEvaluate and support modernization initiatives by piloting Azure-native and Databricks-based solutions, including database migrations across on-premises and cloud environments in partnership with database leadership.\n\nParticipate in a rotating 24x7 on-call schedule and provide off-hours support as required to ensure the availability and reliability of critical database systems.\n\nEducation and/or Experience:\nRequired:\nBachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field, or equivalent experience\n\nA minimum of 6 years of experience administering Microsoft SQL Server (2016-2022) in enterprise environments, including at least 3 years in a senior or lead technical capacity\n\nExpert-level SQL Server performance tuning and troubleshooting experience, including execution plans, indexing strategies, and root-cause analysis of recurring or systemic issues\n\nDemonstrated experience designing, maintaining, and troubleshooting large-scale ETL and data distribution architectures (e.g., hub-and-spoke, staging/MERGE-based sync patterns, or equivalent)\n\nStrong hands-on experience with, SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), Visual Studio for SSIS/SSRS development, SQL Server replication technologies, and SQL Server Availability Groups, including setup, maintenance, and troubleshooting\n\nExperience with SQL Server monitoring tools (e.g., SQL Sentry or equivalent)\n\nExperience performing and overseeing SQL Server patching, cumulative updates, and upgrades, including change management governance\n\nAdvanced proficiency in PowerShell scripting for SQL Server administration and automation\n\nDemonstrated experience mentoring or providing technical guidance to junior or mid-level database administrators\n\nExperience with Power BI for reporting and analytics (preferred for enterprise reporting modernization)\n\nStrong knowledge of Windows Server\n\nStrong knowledge of physical and VMware-based SQL Server configurations\n\nAzure SQL Server administration experience, including hybrid on-prem/Azure environments\n\nPreferred:\nExperience modernizing legacy SSRS reporting to Power BI\n\nExperience automating SQL Server administration using PowerShell and CI/CD practices\n\nExperience supporting large-scale, mission-critical SQL Server environments in regulated enterprises\n\nDemonstrated ability to mentor and influence the technical work of others without direct management authority\n\nExposure to Azure-native data platforms (Azure SQL Managed Instance, Azure Synapse, or similar) or Databricks\n\nExperience leading or contributing to architecture/modernization roadmap discussions\n\nOther Skills and Abilities:\nThe following will also be required of the successful candidate:\nStrong organizational skills\n\nStrong attention to detail\n\nGood judgment\n\nStrong interpersonal communication skills\n\nStrong analytical and problem-solving skills\n\nAble to work harmoniously and effectively with others\n\nAble to preserve confidentiality and exercise discretion\n\nAble to work under pressure\n\nAble to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines and priorities\n\n#LI-Hybrid\nThe target salary range for this role is:\n$123,000 - $169,000 if located in Illinois.Salaries vary by location and are based on numerous factors, including, but not limited to, the relevant market, skills, experience, and education of the selected candidate. Our compensation package also includes bonus eligibility and a comprehensive benefits program. Benefits information can be found at Sidley.com/Benefits.\nTo perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the Duties and Responsibilities above satisfactorily and meet the requirements. The requirements listed above are representative of the minimum knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. If you need such an accommodation, please email  (current employees should contact Human Resources).\nSidley Austin LLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer.","description_format":"text","description_chars":6083,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":6,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Legal Services"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-14T12:24:39Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":26,"band":"fade","label":"Fading","p_open":1,"p_active":0.586,"p_room":0.45,"age_days":44,"expected_fill_days":23,"reasons":["conf:7","win:tail"],"computed_at":"2026-10-14T23:58:05Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":169000,"is_top_pay":false},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/sidley-lead-database-administrator","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/sidley-lead-database-administrator.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-14T23:58:05Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":436,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-15T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":15213},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=15213"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fsidley-lead-database-administrator"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fsidley-lead-database-administrator"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fsidley-lead-database-administrator"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/sidley-lead-database-administrator\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fsidley-lead-database-administrator"}]}